Valve



Oct. 25, 1949. F. J. ElCHE ZLMAN VALVE Filed April 30, 1946 IT 2 M f a.

FLUID INLET INVENTOR fianli'lfiz'c'h l BY I am 710M M TTORNEY PatentedOct. 25, 1 949 umreosmres: one-lee;

Frank; J,., Eichelmanjijlf iark, Ill.-, ,assignor to,

National. .Cylindr,

Gas Company, ,Ch'icagoJIL;

a corporation of Delaware ApplicationiApril BM1946,:Serial:2N0;666:096r;

6iC1aimS..; (Cl. 287-53) This invention relates tocthat. typeof,-.va1.ve in which ,there. is provided a valve stemthreaded in: the valvecasin for rotational andendwise -move-. ment, andcarrying at itsinnerend a valvev meme ber;movable-,axially' in respect to the seatinthev 5.. casing; It relates more rparticularlyto: the cone strnctionof the valvejstem and an, operating, handwheel securedthereto to moveendwise there: i with and locked against ;.relative rotation in re.-,spect thereto.

The main objectsbfthe invention. are. topro-,. videanefiective;lockingemeans: which may be made by simplemachininggoperation, which may; be:v easily andquickly, assembledmrytaken apart; 7

which. is concealed and; protected within the handwheel.

In carrying out .my' invention I, provide ahandewheel whichmay-beslipped'gonto the: I"1d)0f,-th.eIl

stem, and provide the handwheel and. the ,stems; with registering slotsopen.at.the1top;and,1111302 which the locking key maybe deposited.'I'hereris; also provided a cap or top plate threaded into'tthei; stemabove the handwheelito concealithelgslots and lockin-g4key to hold'thelocking; keylin: place, tohold the handwheel against axial. :movement5. with-respect t0 the stem; and, in effect; forms-1a,... part ofthehandwheel itself.

One embodiment of 'mytinventiondsillustrated; in theaccompanying-drawings, in'which' Fig; l is a centrallongitudinalwsection'.throughz the valveembodying the: invention and}taker-1. axially of the valve stem; and" Fig. 2' is'a transverse sectionof the:=.1ine-:2t+-2:. Of Fi'g; 1.

As the-present invention does not-embody any.-' 35.,

novel features of the valve: casing =per- 'se, ,and as: the-valve-caslng-may be ofvarious types and forms, there is shown in thedrawings only a portion of a valve casing, including a-=wal1 [0, inwhich :the valve hstem isgmounted, and ,a;wall J I having a port l2 tobe control-led by the ;va1ve,- and presentingavalve seatfora valvememberI 3, which maybe of'the needle type-valve; or of any other suitable formadapted to, move axiallyto: ward and from .thevalve seat.

In the construction.illustratedthere is provided: a .Valve :stem l5..having external jthreads-i I 6, en gaging corresponding .threadsina-boreorlpassa ec through the wall l0, and carrying a valve [3 held againstendWise movement in respect thereto, and preferably free for relativerotation in respect thereto. As shown, the stem has a cylindricalchamber or recess I! at its inner end, and receiving a cylindrical endportion of the valve I3. The iner end of the stem preferably terminatesin a thin,- aedgeonflange portion ;l 8 which. ma baspurr overdntoamannumngroove al 910111 the -;-valve,- l inseaasetog engage 5 ashoulder at the end of- -the.;;groovesandszholdqthegvalve -n1ember,- in,the stem.*,;.,b.ut:pe 016 theerotation ofgtheqstem in {respect tethevalve member-. Other! types -.o-f valvea membersa mambe-nseclin place ofthat shown:

The,-wall: I 0 of the casing; has an,upsta.n in r, annular; flange 20.-around: the threaded bore; which receives: the-stem, and; this; is,externally; thfreadedto receiveagland, 2| enclosing; packing; 22.;around,the val-vestem. The innerendionthee chamber: within the gland 21 ispreferably bevw elled -;.or conical so; that. as .ythe gland, issc1e\lved,,,I downton thetflange 20; the packingtis compressedg and; atthe; same: timeefor ed inwardly,- again tt the .avalve stem; Thepackingzis preterably of ,the;-. split type.

The,,rotationnoflthevalvestem tolimpartsendwiseamovement J thereto, ,isefiected by .me an s of-tlf:

a handwheel 24 which is locked to the outeremlcz ofizthe-=valve stem,andipreferablyhas :anflange or skirt portion eZBJencircIing, the gland2i; and-, ,pr.ee-

senting a comparatively :widerperipheral surfaeee, whereby the.handwheel-maybe ,effectivelygrippedt, to-rotateit;

As aneimportantfeatureof the invention; thee: stem.- l 5': is.providedzwith a shoulder l 26;, upon-r; whi'ch:.the.handwheel .sits,-.and the outer: entlii portion beyondsaid shoulderis threaded.anckproavided. with the transverse .slot 21 extending-.- in; fromtheend toapproximately. the. plane-bf saidi shoulders The handwheel has; ahole theme through so that it may. be .slippedzonto the endil. of thestem and seat'on'said shoulder, and also;- has a pair ofrecesses' orslots .2822extendingwoutwardly; at diametrically: opposite-sides of; theholee and which may h e-aligned with- :the s10tt21 in. thea stem toreceive akey memberzflfl; This keyamemr be? preferably flat than which;has i a lengths greater-than the diameter ofcth'e stem, Width ,approximately equal; to:;the;: thickness; of; the; top; transversewall 0f:the; handwheel andsuch thickeness; as;--to;substantially fit-theslots-21'; and-1.28;, With thBrSlQllOf-fih855t8lll and thetslotsor.recesses,s of;-the -handivheel iinqalig-nedpositions, thekeymember-is dropped.oreforced-into,ali nedslots so, as to positivelylock the handwheeltagainstrrotae tion in respect to the stem.

The stem extends out to some distance beyond the outer surface of thehandwheel, and a cap or plate 3|] having a threaded socket 3| is screwedonto the end of the stem to engage the handwheel and cover the slot 21.This cap or plate has a diameter greater than the length of the keyway 3so that it completely covers and conceals the slot 28 and the key member29.

Preferably the hole through the handwheel is not threaded so that itmerely slips onto the stud, and whenever it is desired to remove thehandwheel, as for instance to tighten the gland 2|, or to replace thepacking 22, it is merely necessary to unscrew the cover plate or nut 30and lift of! the handwheel. In some construction the handwheel may bethreaded onto the stem and then locked by the key members so that theshoulder 26 is unnecessary.

If the valve member becomes worn or corroded and requires replacement,the handwheel, gland, packing and stem may be readily removed, thehandwheel and stem taken apart, and a new valve stem and valvesubstituted. No tools are required other than a wrench for unscrewingthe plate 30 and the gland 2|.

In some constructions it is not necessary that the slot 21 extend all ofthe way across the diameter of the stem 15. One of the slots 28 may beomitted and the key 29 and be dropped into the other slot 28 and agroove or kerf constituting one end portion of the slot 21. The cap orplate 30 may be in the form of an ordinary nut.

In valves of the general type here involved, the stem and handwheel areusually fastened together with a pin driven into a bolt which is drilledpartly into the handwheel and partly into the stem. Once this pin isdriven in, it is difficult if not almost impossible to remove it withoutdamage to the handwheel. Thus, if the valve seat or other parts becomeworn, it is necessary to replace not only the stem but also thehandwheel. In the present construction, it is possible to replace merelythe stem, as the stem and handwheel may be easily taken apart.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination a rotatable stem having an axially facing shoulder anda transverse slot extending inwardly from one end approximately to thetransverse plane of said shoulder, a handle member having an openingtherethrough to receive the end of said stem and abut said shoulder, andsaid opening having a slot extending radially therefrom, a key memberdisposed in the aligned slots of said stem and said handle member toprevent relative rotational movement of said handle member and stem, anda cap threaded onto the outer end of said stem, concealing said slotsand key member, and holding said handle member against said shoulder.

2. In combination a rotatable stem having a slot open at one end andalong one side of said stem, a handle member having an openingtherethrough to receive the end of said stem, said opening having a slotextending radially therefrom, a key member disposed in the aligned slotsof said stem and said handle member to prevent relative rotationalmovement of said handle member and stem and readily removable throughthe end of said stem, and a cap threaded onto the outer end of saidstem, concealing said slots and key member, and holding said handlemember against said shoulder.

3. A valve having a rotatable stem having a transverse slot extendinginwardly from the outer end thereof, a handle member having an openingtherethrough to receive the outer end of said stem, and having a slot onthe side of said opening to register with the slot in said stem, aremovable key member disposed in the slot of said stem and extendinginto the slot of said handle member, and a cap on the outer end of saidstem for holding said handle member in engagement with said shoulder,retaining said key member in place, and covering said key member, slotsand the outer end of said stem.

4. A valve having a rotatable stem having an external shoulder spacedfrom and facing toward the outer end of said stem, and a transverse slotextending from the outer end of the stem to approximately the plane ofsaid shoulder, a handle member having an opening therethrough andadapted to slip onto the outer end of said stem and seat on saidshoulder, and having a slot on the side of said opening to register withthe slot in said stem, a transversely extending key member disposed inthe slot of said stem, extending 'into the slot of said handle member,and readily removable through the outer end of the stem, and a capthreaded onto the outer end of said stem for holding said handle memberin engagement with said shoulder, covering said key member and slots,retaining said key member in place, and

covering the outer end of said stem.

5. In a valve, the combination of a rotatable stem having a transverseslot therethrough extending in from the outer end thereof, a handlemember having an opening therethrough to receive the outer end of saidstem, and having a recess on the side of said opening, a locking pindisposed in and freely removable from the slot of said stem and havingan end disposed in said recess, and a nut threaded on the outer end ofsaid stem for retaining said locking pin in position.

6. In a valve, the combination of a stem having a transverse slottherethrough extending in from the outer end thereof, a shoulder on theexterior substantially in the plane of the inner end of said slot, ahandle member having an opening therethrough to receive the outer end ofsaid stem, and seating on said last mentioned shoulder, and havingrecesses on opposite sides of said opening, a locking pin disposed inthe slot of said stem and having its ends disposed in said recesses, anda nut on the outer end of said stem for holding said handle member onsaid seat, for covering the outer end of said stem, and for concealingand retaining said locking pin in position.

FRANK J. EICHELMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,495,733 Gillen May 27, 19241,763,927 Ireland June 17, 1930 1,832,554 Holstein Nov. 17, 19312,233,962 Rover Mar. 4, 1941

